Sanitary vacuum chip-remover.



L. S. IRGENS.

SANITARY VACUUM CHIP REMOVEB. w APPLICATION rmm mu 21, 1910.

988, 345. Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21, 1910.

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TTEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS S. IRGENS, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

SANITARY VACUUM CHIP-REMOVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 21, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,LoUIs S. Inonns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Sanitary Vacuum Chip-Remover, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a sanitary vacnum chip remover to be used by dentists for removing the chips from cavities in the teeth during and after drilling with a dental bur.

An object of this invention is to provide a chip remover which may be operated by either compressed air or water, which causes a suction through the apparatus.

A further object is to provide a device which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, durable, and both painless and efficient in its operation.

These and further objects, together with the construction and combination of parts, will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the claims, and in which Figure 1 is a side view in elevation, showing my device attached to a flowing cuspidor; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View, showing the device in operation; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the vacuum-forming nozzle.

There are several devices now in use, which operate to remove the chips ground from the teeth by the dental bur, by blowing a stream of air, generally cold, into the teeth cavities. This is very painful to the patient, as quite often the nerve is quite thinly protected, and the cold air striking the tooth, Moreover, the decayed matter which is ground from the tooth is scattered throughout the room, which, to say the least, is unsanitary if not positively injurious to the health of the persons inthe vicinity.

Applicant, by his invention, utilizes a vacuum, operated either by air under pressure, or by water under pressure, to suck out the dust and chips from the cavity and deposit the same in a suitable receptacle which pref erably contains running water, so that the decayed matter and chips are positively removed and prevented from flying about the PC0111.

Referring to the particular structure as i lustrated in the drawings, 1 indicates a cuspidor of anysuitable character, such as those usually provided in a dentists office. This cuspidor is provided, by means of a pipe 2 and a faucet 3, with water under pres sure.

Supported on the pipe 2 in any suitable manner or on any suitable portion of the frame-work of the cuspidor 1, there is provided a bracket 1, which forms a holder for a vacuum-forming nozzle 5, which is normally adapted to project downwardly into the bowl of the cuspidor 1. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, this nozzle is provided with an outer tube 6, converging to an outlet opening 7, and is also provided with an inner tube 8, preferably arranged concentric with the tube 6 and spaced apart therefrom, which also converges to an outlet 9 arranged preferably in alinement with the outlet 7 and in juxtaposition thereto. The tube 8 is provided with an inlet pipe 11, whereby water or air under pressure may be supplied to the inner tube 8, and by its very force, create a suction through the tube 6 through an outlet 10 thereon.

Removably secured to the inlet end of the tube 6, there is provided a tube 12, which is preferably made of some flexible material, such as rubber, and has secured at its opposite end, a receiver 13. This receiver may be of any suitable form to be inserted in a cavity in the tooth, illustrated at 14:, to remove the particles chipped oli" by a bur 15. In the form illustrated, this receiver 13 is provided with a handle 16 of any suitable material, such as cork, which is slidingly mounted on the body portion 17 preferably made of some suitable metal. The body portion 17 is preferably bent intermediate its ends to form an angle 18 for the purpose of conveniently manipulating the same.

One end of the body portion 17 is provided with a socket, which is adapted to be engaged by a removable tip 21. This tip is secured and made air-tight by the end of the tip being made tapering, so as to perfectly fit the body 17. This arrangement allows the tip to be set at any angle, and to be easily removed. The tip 21 preferably tapers throughout its length, and is curved at its point, to form a convenient nib 23, which may be readily inserted in very small cavities. Three sizes of these tips are used, running from small to large.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 1, the inlet pipe 11 is provided with a flexible tube 24: of any suitable character, such as rubber, which may be connected, as shown in full lines, to any suitable source of air under pressure, such as a storing tank, through a pipe 19 extending through the handle 16 and controlled by a valve 20. If desired, the tube 2 1 may be connected, as shown in dotted lines, to an auxiliary faucet 25 connected to the pipe 2 and controlled by a valve 26.

The operation of the device will be readily understood when taken in connection with the above description. WVhen compressed air .is used, the pipe 19 is connected to any suitable supply, such as a storing tank, and the nib 23 of the tip 21 inserted in the cavity being cleaned. The water can be then turned on by means of the faucet 3, so that the chips which are drawn by the suction created through the tube 12 may be washed down the flowing cuspidor 1. If water pressure is utilized to obtain the necessary suction or vacuum, the tube 24: is connected to the faucet 25, and the water turned on by means of the valve 26. The matter removed by the bur 15 will then be drawn strongly through the receiver 13 into the nozzle 8, and projected, with the suctioncreating stream of water, into the cuspidor 1, so that it will be positively dampened and washed away.

If a different style of tip is desired, having an opening of greater or less size, or of clifferent character, the tip 21 can be removed.

from the body portion, and a new tip inserted in place thereof.

While I have shown one embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details thereof, but desire to be protected in various changes, modifications and alterations which I may make within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a vacuum former, of a chip receiver, connections between said chip receiver and said vacuum former, a cuspidor located in cooperative relation with said vacuum former and adapted to receive the material drawn into said chip receiver by said vacuum former, a water-supply pipe juxtaposed to said cuspidor, and an air-supply pipe connected to said chip receiver, one of said connections between said chip receiver and said vacuum former being adjustable and adapted to connect said vacuum former with either said air-supply pipe or said water-supply pipe.

2. The combination with a vacuum former, of a chip receiver, a plurality of flexible connect-ions connecting said vacuum former with said chip receiver, and means on said chip receiver for controlling the flow of fluid to oneof said flexible connections.

3. The combination with a vacuum former, of a chip receiver, a flexible connection for connecting said chip receiver with said vacuum former, a handle for said chip receiver, a pipe extending through said handle, means for connecting said pipe with said vacuum former, and a valve for controlling the flow of fluid through said pipe.

1. The combination with a vacuum former, comprising inner and outer concentrically-arranged tubes, of a flexible connection connected to each of said tubes, a

chip receiver connected to one of said tubes, said chip receiver comprising an angular body portion, a removable tip adapted to be inserted in the cavity of a tooth, a handle for said chip receiver, a pipe extending through said handle and connected to the other of said flexible connections, and means for controlling the flow of fluid through said pipe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS S. IRGENS. IVitnesses:

MAURICE L. GREEN, M. O. EVANS, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

